What Solo Travel Has Taught Me: The Unfiltered Truth

Solo travel may be scary, but it also allows you to broaden your horizons and do things you’ll never do in your own country. Needless to say, though, solo traveling isn’t just about the beautiful places you’ll explore, cultures you’ll experience, people you’ll meet, or food you’ll eat. It’s also a chance to have eye opening conversations, learn more about yourself, and adapt or change your lifestyle and opinions.

Interested to know what 10 years of traveling by myself taught me? Keep reading!

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1. You can be who you truly are and do what you want

No filter needed? Definitely true here, and for the simple reason that no one knows you, so you don’t need to pretend to be someone else to please everyone (which I wouldn’t recommend anyway) or conform to social norms and pursue the house, stable job and car that everyone should aspire to have.

Well, flash news: this way of thinking is so outdated and I say do whatever you want and be who you truly are without fearing the judgment of others because you only have one shot at life, so you might as well make the most of it!

Pretty liberating by the way!

2. You’ll immediately connect with people you just met

And they’ll be part of your journey, whether for a few hours or a few days, but you’ll also probably never see them again.

I know you’ve certainly heard that when you travel solo, you meet a lot of people, and while that’s sometimes true, sometimes you won’t meet anyone for several days. Likewise the people you’ve met and shared experiences with will often remained just that: memories.

Because the truth is, you’ll often form lasting bonds with friends from all over the world and meet them again if you’re lucky or if your schedules coincide, but often the opposite is also true. You’ll have fun together, have interesting conversations, and go on crazy adventures but you’ll never see each other again.

That’s how travel is too: people come and go, and sometimes life won’t necessarily make you cross paths again.

3. Itinerary? Forget about it!

Another thing that solo travel has taught me pretty quickly is how spontaneous you become, much more than you think.

Packed itineraries have never been my thing, which is why it’s important to learn to say yes and step even further out of your comfort zone by joining the plans that others offer to you.

You know why? Because that’s how you’ll have the best time of your life and meet those lifelong friends I was talking about. Forget about the most popular attractions and go join that canyoneering adventure, your body and mind will remember it for a lifetime.

4. Days, weeks, months feel like mere seconds

I don’t know if it’s just me or if it’s because I’m usually having fun, I’m less stressed, and traveling gives me a sense of freedom, but solo travel has taught me that time flies, especially when you’re where you want to be and living your life instead of just enduring it.

So yes, these times really feel like mere seconds, sometimes it’s hard to believe that a week has just gone by when it feels like you only landed at your destination yesterday.

So much so that I often wish I could stop time to appreciate the moment even more fully!

5. You’ll often remember the people whom you shared a memory more than the place itself

To be honest, I often have to look at pictures to remember a place I visited years ago, especially if nothing noteworthy happened or if actually too many things happened during that particular trip. Maybe its also my age, who knows.

But our brain has that tendency of slightly altering our memories or deleting those we stored long ago to make room for fresher ones. That’s how my blog helps me remember things more clearly too.

But the thing is, when you share a memory with someone, it tends to stay with you more vividly than others, maybe because we enjoy reminiscing together, or maybe because that special moment was shared with someone you care about, which makes the moment even more special.

6. Don’t feel guilty about taking a slow day

Embrace it!

Solo travel has taught me many things, but this one in particular always hits differently, because I always felt guilty and like I was doing something wrong if I just stayed home doing nothing all day.

But you know what? That’s silly, as we all need moments of quiet and rest. So if you don’t feel like getting up early, going to the gym or doing those chores, don’t! And the same goes when traveling: you don’t have to fill your day with activities, it’s also fine to go to a café and people-watch or lie on the beach with a good book!

Just take a slow day and take care of yourself for once!

7. You adapt quickly and learn to appreciate the present moment

Adaptability is key, especially when you’re traveling around the world and keep changing timezones, cultures, languages, currencies, and much more. So you naturally learn to get back on your feet quickly and get the hang of public transportation system as fast as you can, from example.

That doesn’t mean it’s not confusing, quite the contrary, but you have to get used to it if you intend to survive in a new country anyway!

Another thing is you learn to appreciate every second, because you know that every moment is fleeting and will never come back.

So that blazing sunset in Nusa Penida, that campfire in the middle of the Australian bush, that sketchy accommodation in Sri Lanka, or that unstoppable fit of laughter after a scooter mishap, enjoy them while they last!

8. Home isn’t necessarily a place

I know that for most people, home is often the place where they live or their hometown, but what solo travel has taught me is that it doesn’t have to be.

For me, home is more a feeling, one of safety, comfort, well-being and happiness. But at a certain point, it can also be many places or a person.

9. Memories of that waterfall? Blurry!

But memories of food poisoning, bed bug bites, swimming against the current, discussing philosophy and religion all night long: those you’ll always remember as clearly as if it were yesterday!

Experiences, whether good or bad are what leave the biggest impression on me, as do people. Of course, I remember beautiful sights too and like to explore a country for its nature, history… but I think what makes a trip even more memorable are the experiences you’ll have in that country.

Because more than places themselves, these are unique to you and no one else can have the same experience or feel the same way about that place as you do.

10. Talking to random strangers abroad

Having an interesting conversation with a person you just met is pretty common abroad, more so than you might think, which sometimes makes me laugh when I think about it, since I would never strike up a conversation with a stranger in my own country. At least, that’s my personal experience!

Proof that barriers tend to come down more easily when you’re on the other side of the world and you’re often more open-minded than usual.

I guess the desire to immerse yourself in the culture and meet more people also plays a big part in this.

Have you had similar experiences as a solo traveler? What other things has solo travel taught you that have changed your life, personality or how you see the world? Tell me in the comments!

Want to take the plunge into solo travel or just love movies? Here are 10 of my favorite movies that will make you embrace solo travel!